the film forum library tutorial contact

Seared in Memory: Salmon Cut in Huge Chunks by Tobias Person Seattle Times, November 10, 2007

I grew up fishing. The generations before us did the same. Catching wild fish brought us together on the water, and cooking them brought us together at the table.

In my father's time, he has watched the decline of the salmon fisheries. He is sad to leave me a world that is degraded. I now bear the baton in my generation and will not stand by and allow the symbol of our culture to be endangered by unimaginative and elitist policymaking ["Fish to survive dam plan, agency says," Times, Local News, Nov. 1].

The Bonneville Power Administration is concerned with electricity; the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is concerned with dams. They may say they are concerned with salmon, but this is like the lumberman who says he is concerned with bird nests.

I find it high corruption that agencies causing the salmon to go extinct are responsible for the plan to protect them.

The plan to protect salmon should be established by all relevant parties. Those whose livelihood, food and identity are tied to these fish should have a voice. Where are our political leaders on this issue?

There is a plan that is economically better for all of us in the Northwest. It is well-established and needs to be heard. It includes dam removal, rail transport, groundwater irrigation and wind turbines.

If we stay the course of degradation, to which hydroelectric and dam construction interests have brought us, we will continue with an outdated energy and transportation system and lose an irreplaceable resource to extinction.

Related Pages:
The opinions and supporting documents are available here.
Idaho's Sockeye: FCRPS Biological Opinion NOAA Fisheries' Executive Summary, 10/31/7